Islip Music Lessons

work in music reading of standard music notation and TAB;

* Fretboard navigation, pick-control and fingerstyle techniques.

* Song repertoire knowledge and memorization

*Solo guitar interpretation of popular songs as well as accompaniment styles appropriate for backing your or another's voice;
*Ear-training and Music theory is incorporated into each lesson.

NYSSMA preparation is available for both Classical and Jazz auditions.

Piano lessons are available with concentration in proper hand mechanics and technique, theory, ear-training and music reading. NYSSMA preparation up through level 4 is available.

*** Lesson Details ***
My guitar lessons follow a structured format. I begin with technical exercises for both the picking/strumming hand and the fretting hand, leading to good sound production. As students learn to achieve well-balanced tones, they learn to apply that to the written page using standard music notation and the TAB system. From single notes, students learn to build harmony, (chords), from 2 notes, to 3, and thereafter, 4. Song repertoire is built from a variety of sources including published method books. Memorization of song repertoire is stressed.

After the student has learned the notes and scales in the first position as well as the associated chords, he/she can learn songs of his/her choosing from the Folk, Pop, Classical and Jazz repertoire that is appropriate to his/her current level.

Piano method books used include the Dozen-A-Day and Hanon technique exercises as well as the Schaum and Michael Aaron method book series'.

NYSSMA training/coaching is available for both piano and guitar with suitable training beginning a least a year before the NYSSMA audition is to take place.

The Guitar student should have a good quality guitar, (steel strings, nylon strings, or steel-string electric) professionally set-up with light-gauged strings (for the beginners), a strap, a music stand, and time and space in the home in order to encourage a daily routine of practice.

The Piano student should have daily access to a piano or keyboard instrument with weighted keys in order to be able to practice lesson material daily.

For young students, a practice chart is given where a student is to mark his/her practice time in order for progress to be made.

*** Studio Equipment ***
I have a dedicated room in my home that is set up for private practice and teaching. It has an electronic piano, folding chairs, a music stand and guitar amplifiers and cables.

*** Travel Equipment ***
I bring an acoustic guitar with me to all out-going lessons so that I can play along with the student and demonstrate techniques as necessary. I bring extra blank sheets of music writing paper, fret board diagrams, and study sheets, as well as extra copies of the books I use most frequently. I can purchase books/materials for the student, with the student's or parent/guardian's reimbursement, or the student may purchase materials on their own.

*** Specialties ***
Pick-style and finger-style guitar, both acoustic and electric; music reading, music theory; re-harmonization and arrangement techniques to make a song your own!

* Specialties ***
classical music

8-10 yrs. and handle themselves very well in all ensembles. They play to earn scholarships for college as well and play for life. Happy Playing!

to read music, as well as transcribe arrangements and transpose by ear. With consistent lessons, students can learn to play along to their favorite music, and develop confidence to practice and perform with other musicians in a group setting.

As a professional touring and recording artist, I am happy to share my knowledge of playing in multiple musical settings, and the "business" of playing music. My passion is for live performance, and it is essential to help students feel confident while playing for an audience.

Our focus will be on developing proper technique, listening carefully and critically to recordings, and building a foundational music vocabulary via reading and writing.

I look forward to sharing my knowledge and expertise with you!

sistant principal of the Bridgeport Symphony and have played with the San Francisco Symphony, the New Jersey Symphony, the Long Island Philharmonic and other orchestras. I have also appeared as soloist with the Greenwich Symphony Orchestra, the Connecticut Concerto Consortium, the Black Sea Philharmonic and other Connecticut and overseas orchestras. I was principal bass for the Greenwich Symphony for over twenty years.

My family stems from a family of artisans in the Romanian town of Focsani. As part of my studies at the Bucharest Conservatory, I was trained as a luthier – a maker of stringed instruments. Seeing the need for an artist-craftsman with a special knowledge of the double bass, I opened an atelier in Westport and one in Greenwich(Conn.) in which now services and rebuilds distinguished instruments for professionals and students. Deeply interested in the education of young musicians, I am a state-certified teacher in Connecticut and in the past have served on the board of the Connecticut Division of the American String Teachers Association.

I have organized a yearly double bass recital for my students, the first of its kind in the area, also performing in duo recitals as the Bottesini Bass Duo, the first in America to explore the virtuoso repertoire for two basses.